The present invention relates to a method and means for enhancing the organoleptic qualities, while reducing the sensory perception of tannins and acid in wine, brandies, sherries, ports, cognac, spirits, beer, coffee, tea, fruit juice, and or any alcoholic beverages, including but not restricted to those that have been aged in wood barrels or had the addition of wood or wood chips added to the beverage to enhance the taste, by means of a magnetic field.
It is known that many alcoholic beverages are aged in wood barrels or have wood or wood chips added to the product for a time to allow the characteristics of the wood to enhance the organoleptic properties of the beverage including flavor and odor.
Tannins are the harsh, bitter, astringent, dry tasting substances, imparted by grape skins, seeds, stems and or the use of wood barrels, strips or chips, which allow wines to age and or impart a variety of different taste characteristics to wines and other alcoholic beverages. In wine these tannins will dissipate over the years and thus in general an older wine will have a softer, smoother and fruitier taste than it did as a young wine. In beer and spirits, tannins are generally derived from a variety of new and used wood barrels, in which the spirits are allowed to aged for a period of time, in order to impart the finished product with a variety of taste finishes. As an example, beverages such as malt scotches, sometimes age their product in a variety of new and previously used wood barrels which will impart a variety of different organoleptic properties to their final product, thus producing a diversity of taste selections within a single brand name. This is known as a line extension. In both instances these tannins may impart a harsher taste than might be desired either at the time of bottling or at the time that the product becomes available to the general public for purchase and consumption.
At this time there are several different methods, generally referred to as fining, for reducing tannins prior to bottling, through the use of a variety of substances including egg whites, diatomaceous earth, casein, gelatin and other chemical substances. These methods do not always remove the desired level of tannins in one application and may have to be repeated. This is very costly in terms of time and manpower as each of these methods are accomplished by manual labor.
When any one of the above sited alcoholic products are released to the public they generally have not been given enough time to age and reach their full maturity and flavor, through the use of climate controlled wine and spirits cellars, before they are released to the public. The additional expense to the manufacturer of cellaring a product for additional years, until it reached its optimum maturity, would add considerable cost to the finished product. The general public is impatient and generally consume these products before they are at their best. This can result in a negative public perception of the winery, spirits or beer manufacturer, store or restaurant in which they were purchased.
The use of magnets, to reduce acids and tannins, appears heretofore to have been unknown to the science of wine and spirits production and no references have been found in scientific wine publications, textbooks or journals. Despite strong skepticism, every wine maker who blind tested the singular magnetic device shown in FIGS. 1-3, on two of the same bottles of wine, agreed that a positive change in the organoleptic qualities of the wine had taken place. Furthermore, this device is already in successful national distribution through wine and liquor stores, wine tasting rooms, as well as direct marketing consumer sales.
According to this present invention, the reduction in perceived tannins and resulting enhancement of the organoleptic qualities, including taste, odor and mouth feel of these beverages may be accomplished without any health consequences and at negligible cost.
In coffee, tea and some fruit juices the exposure to a magnetic field can reduce the perceived taste of acidity.